


The Naming of Carp

by Anonymous



Category: Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Female Friendship, Humor, Multi, Sisters Doing It For Themselves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:48:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24403078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: A long weekend at Pemberley for Jane and Bingley's joint hen/stag do.
Relationships: Elizabeth Bennet/Fitzwilliam Darcy/Colonel Fitzwilliam
Comments: 2
Kudos: 51
Collections: Anonymous, Fandom 5K 2020





	The Naming of Carp

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Melacka](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melacka/gifts).



> Fitzwilliam has had a demotion here because Colonel just wasn't plausible for the time or the age he is in this story.

Jane packs with a thoroughness that Lizzy admires. Each item is pre-selected and pre-folded, then laid carefully on-top of its friend inside the suitcase, not with any particular finickiness, just with a natural care. Lizzy's own suitcase, which previously appeared fine to her eyes, now looks chaotic in comparison. Still, it's difficult to care too much when no-one is going to see it but Jane and maybe Charlotte. And given the dwindling period they have left before Jane moves out of their tiny house, Lizzy has to soak up every last little mannerism and habit while she still can.

She rolls over on the bed to stop herself getting melancholy thoughts about having to find a new housemate, and stares at the ceiling.

"I'm having sudden second thoughts about the cocktails. By offering two different choices the party's split almost entirely by gender and you're going to be apart from Charles for half of the weekend."

"Hardly half," Jane says calmly. "And we both know you picked those activities very carefully, Lizzy, so neither set of guests would feel they had to crawl through a cave or get drunk if they don't want to."

It was true. And as her idle mind knew full well, Jane had signed off on both options as fun and thoughtful choices. Even going as far to say they would be a good fit for both her guests and Charles'. Yet Lizzy still couldn't quite shake off the idea that it wouldn't be perfect enough, possibly couldn't ever be perfect enough.

"Maybe I should've just made everyone do both."

""Lizzy," Jane says more firmly. "Stop it now. Think about it, would you honestly want to be stuck behind Lydia and Kitty in a cave?"

"Well -"

"Exactly, it's far better that they come and get drunk where I can keep an eye on them. And then you can not only have fun crawling around in the mud, but be there to make sure Charles' friends don't tape him naked to an giant stalagmite."

"I don't know, I might yet let them," Lizzy teases, rolling back towards Jane. "He hasn't sent me the five point plan for your future happiness that I asked for."

"I'm glad you think it will only take five things to keep me happy for the rest of my life."

"Well, four if we're not counting the one that's attached to him."

Jane picks up a nearby cushion and tosses it in Lizzy's direction. "Stop it, that's disgusting."

"I hope for your sake that it's not," Lizzy says, tossing the cushion right back.

Jane catches it easily, her eyes narrowing as she nudges the suitcase shut and stands up.

"My fiance and his sizeable assets are none of your business, Elizabeth Bennet," she says, as she drops the cushion on Lizzy's head.

Lizzy can't help but laugh as Jane's cheeks go delicately pink. Nothing, of course, beats the time she came home from work early and found the happy couple /in flagrante delicto/ in the kitchen, but Jane's gentle embarrassment about carnal affairs will never stop being amusing.

"I'm just glad I have a good chance of nieces and nephews to spoil when I'm an old maid."

"As if. You're going to be far too busy travelling the world to spoil anyone. No doubt with a whole harem of admirers."

"I think I could quite like that. Perhaps one in every port, like a sailor. What do you think?"

"I think you're far too adventurous to have packed such a boring selection of clothes. How am I meant to make sure you're next up the aisle when all that's in here are thick socks, caving clothes, and one dress."

"You're lucky I packed even one dress. And I only did it for you."

"Oh, Lizzy," Jane says, emotion tipping over into her voice. "Come here, let me hug you. Promise me you really will come visit after the wedding? Nothing will be the same without you making me cups of tea and reading aloud."

"I solemnly swear to visit you so many times that you'll get sick of me and start wishing I'd stop."

\---

Pemberley, both from Lizzy's own judicious googling and Jane's reports, seemed a veritable palace. Earlier on in her planning she'd thought fondly of the Lake District and the sort of bunkhouses that could be rented as bases for exactly this type of party. Then Jane had come back from a weekend away with Charles, doing whatever truly rich people did at Darcy's house, aglow and singing the praises of stately homes.

Her plans had had to do an abrupt 180 degree turn.

A few subtle hints to Charles later about a location that might make Jane very happy and she had received a curt text from Darcy himself, opening his house up as a staging ground for the weekend's activities. Followed swiftly by a second text to inform her that he would, of course, be happy to shift his own plans that he had made as Charles' best man to bring both parties together as he had gotten the impression that might be welcome.

Lizzy had read this somewhat overly formal content over three times before she could bring herself to admit he had a good idea. Jane had been overjoyed at the thought of bringing all their friends together at once and from there on it had become the logical and thus only choice.

She and Darcy had split the weekend between them and then, thankfully with the minimum of fuss, organised their own allocated days themselves, only briefly consulting with one another to check there was no crossover. From there on out, the rest of her planning had been with Georgiana who had very cheerfully made herself available for any and all queries and even stubbornly insisted on providing all the food. In the space of two months, she had gone from near-stranger to someone Lizzy not only very definitely considered a friend, but someone she also exchanged regular messages with on the subjects of walking, reading, and fond annoyance at siblings. It had confirmed for her that Darcy's relations were far more up her street than the man himself. It also offered a medium amount of amusement when she thought of their many mutual friends and how he must find her continued presence on the edge of his social interactions just as annoying as she found his.

His house was still very pretty, though.

\---

"You like it, don't you," Jane says, as she slows the car down so Lizzy can look her fill out the window. "Isn't it beautiful?"

The long, winding driveway looked over sloping woodland and a river that ran prettily through the trees. Finally the landscape gave way to a large gravelled forecourt and then the house itself, grand and secret.

"It is," Lizzy says, surprised at herself and then at her own surprise, too. Google hadn't really done the grounds justice, concentrating instead of the outside of the house (which had been almost foreboding in its size) and some very pretty riverbanks (which had held no fish that she could see).

"It's so kind of Darcy to host us all for the weekend, I honestly couldn't think of anywhere I'd rather be."

"Very kind," she echoes, with only the tiniest hint of censure. She's quite sure it was only Charles' influence that got them the invitation.

"Stop it," Jane says. "He closed the grounds off to visitors for four days and I know people happily pay a lot to fish here. The estate will lose revenue, so it's very generous of him to have us all."

Four whole days, Lizzy thought to herself with a smile. Only three hundred and sixty-one in which he could enjoy the space and grandeur himself, it hardly seemed fair. Nor did it look like the sort of country house that was falling apart and needed every last penny, though she kept her mouth shut on both observations.

"Don't worry, I won't goad him, and I'll save all my teasing for Georgiana. At least that way you'll have someone to blush with you."

Jane checks her gently with one elbow and then goes about parking up their car with a sigh. Though very serviceable and not even near its last legs yet, their mode of transport does look a little out of place settled next to what must be either Darcy or Charles' 4x4. But on the other side of that, much to Lizzy's delight, is a car she recognises as Charlotte's, meaning the rest of the advance party must already be inside.

They got half way across the gravel to a side - but still remarkably large - door before Lydia came spilling out to meet them with a squeal.

She hugs them both in turn enthusiastically, peering into the wine box with great interest as she squeezes Jane so hard she yelps.

"I can't believe you took so long to get here," she says, latching onto the suitcase Lizzy is dragging and wresting it from her. "I brought Charlotte up as well, or stole her car anyway. Though I think she only let me drive because she didn't want me to pick the music. Which isn't really fair, we can't all be classical pianists who can name every Bach concerto ever written."

"You passed your test, then?" Jane says carefully.

"What? Oh yes, last week. Though I'm not sure how, to be honest, it felt like I spent half an hour doing the parallel park, and then I saw Denny waiting for me on the way back and forgot I wasn't meant to wave while driving, but maybe the lady was fed up of seeing me because she passed me anyway. Now I just need a car. Jane, can't you get Charles to buy you a Ferrari as a wedding present or something and give me yours?"

Lizzy meets Jane's eyes over Lydia's head and smiles.

"I can just see you behind the wheel of a Ferrari, Jane."

"Lizzy, don't help. Lydia, I don't need a new car. Why not ask Dad if he'll help you buy one?"

"He says he won't buy me so much as a moped until the village recovers from my lessons! Honestly, I didn't mean to mount the kerb and scare Mrs Lucas. And at least two people have told me the mini roundabout in Meryton looks better now it's flatter."

Lizzy smiles despite herself, imagining it all very clearly. "I've missed you, Lydia."

"Well good, because you've got me for the whole weekend and I'm desperate to talk."

\---

Inside Georgiana greets them warmly with more hugs, immediately insisting of relieving them of everything they're carrying.

"I've put you both in the front wing, which is the nicest. And I know you said you're happy to share, Lizzy, but are you sure? I feel like as maid of honour you should have your very own grand bedroom!"

"It's fine, honestly." She can hardly get over the height of the ceiling in the foyer they're standing in, a grand bedroom might kill her. "I'm looking forward to being able to stay up all night talking to Charlotte."

Lydia snorts in the background and Georgiana looks momentarily confused before Jane asks if there's anything she could do to help prepare for dinner. In the resulting flurry of horror from all parties at Jane having to do any preparation whatsoever, all confusion is lost and Lizzy lets the natural conversation flow over her, feeling at home already.

\---

The bedroom Georgiana shows her to is completely delightful, doubly so for the presence of Charlotte within it, carefully hanging a dress up.

Lizzy hugs her cheerfully, feeling a little more of her nervousness chip away as she does.

"You don't know how good it is to see you," she says. "And in one piece, too. When Lydia said she was the one who drove, I did wonder."

Charlotte laughs. "She's not nearly half as bad as she used to be. There was one moment when she swerved to avoid a squirrel that I thought we might both die, but other than that - very serviceable."

"You're much more generous with your reviews than anyone else who's ever been in car with her."

"Oh, you know me, Lizzy. It's hard to throw me off balance. And if you point out she's going forty in a thirty, she does slow down."

"I'm very glad to hear it!"

Between their beds is a huge window, stretching from almost ceiling to floor with a low seat build into it. Beyond it she can see more of the grounds of the house, lawn after lawn appearing to stretch all the way to the eyeline.

"I thought you'd like that view," Charlotte says. "Pretty, isn't it?"

Lizzy nods, moving closer to make out more of the details. Off to the back of the house she can see what looks like a kitchen garden, trellises running up its walls already bearing fruit. She can well see why Jane had loved her stay here.

"Dawn walk?" she says, turning back to Charlotte with a speculative wiggle of her eyebrows.

"Oh Lizzy, I suppose I should've predicted that, too. You're not worried about bumping into the master of the house? Georgiana said he sometimes takes one of the horses out in the mornings to check on the fish in _the lower pools_."

"What a different life," Lizzy says, laughing. "No, I'm not worried. I reckon there's enough wood out there to hide us from him, don't you?"

"As long as we can find out way out of this house without a map."

\---

After they've all made it back downstairs, Georgiana lays out a cold late lunch for them all on blankets on one of the lawns. There are big tomatoes that do, in fact, turn out to be from the very same kitchen garden under Lizzy's window, and cheese that's apparently local too. Lydia spices the gathering up by coming out of the house brandishing two bottles of Prosecco that she uses to liberally fill every glass in her range.

On her third or fourth trip out of the house, Georgiana comes armed with a selection of broad rimmed hats that she has them pass around to keep off the sun. Then Charles himself tops them all by coming out of the house shortly after with a dainty parasol that Georgiana claims is for the bride to be, but which he refuses to surrender and keeps hooked over his shoulder as he happily seats himself next to Jane.

Kitty and Mary arrive after they've finished with the food and then there's another round of joyful hugging. They abandon their cases in the house to come straight out and join the party on the blankets, Kitty flopping down next to Lizzie like she's run a marathon.

"Mum says she wants lots of pictures," Mary says, brandishing her camera. "So don't put any penis things anywhere Lydia, okay, because I'm not explaining it to her when she makes me talk her through every image on FaceTime."

"I don't even like penises," Lydia says airily, flopping back on the blanket like a princess. "Do I, Lizzy?"

"Not at all."

"You're such liars," Mary says, plonking herself down with a suspicious glare at Lizzy.

"I like penises," Kitty says, choosing herself a whole plump tomato and putting the entire thing in her mouth at once.

The whole party bursts into laughter, even as Lydia plucks a grape from a nearby bunch and throws it at Kitty.

When Lizzy looks over, she sees Jane laughing into Charles' shoulder and watches as he leans down to whisper something directly to her ear, his parasol dipping to shield them almost from sight.

They're so content that she feels almost as happy herself. When she hears the click of Mary's camera behind her, she's glad that the moment has been captured.

\--

After the picnic is packed away, Lizzy, Kitty and Georgiana make their plans for a long walk down to the village for the last few things on the list for the weekend.

Lydia stops Jane from going with them by putting her head on her lap and refusing to budge.

"I haven't seen you in ages," she says. "Lizzy gets to see you all the time. And once you're married you'll never have time for me."

Mary, though invited, politely opts to unpack her belongings and help Charles string up fairy lights round the garden for the evening.

The lanes are quiet except for the cheeping of birds and Kitty telling Georgiana about her work. Lizzy gets daily updates by text so just smiles and lets Georgiana do the delighted noises over the stories of overweight dogs and scratched up cats that come through the vets where Kitty works as a receptionist.

At a pretty crossroads with a grassy sidebank they stop to look at the happy patches of daffodils. Then Georgiana shades her eyes and squints in the sun as a car comes round the corner.

"Finally," she says, stepping out onto the lane to wave at the vehicle

The car slows down and the driver lowers the window, sticking his head up. Kitty elbows Lizzy as it becomes abundantly clear that it's Darcy behind the wheel.

"There you are," Georgiana says, with more merriment than Lizzy had ever heard anyone other than Charles address Darcy.

"I thought it didn't start until seven?"

"No, that's when we invited the guests for."

"The Bennets aren't guests?"

"Honestly, you're such a dingbat. You'd think if you offered your house out for a party you'd try and be there before the other people."

"I'm early," Darcy says, sounding affronted. "Just not as early as you."

"And the Bennets," Georgiana says.

"Yes," Darcy says. "Well, do you need a lift anywhere?"

"Nope, we're going to the shops. Someone offered to get me more veg and bring it with him but then he turned up late so I thought we'd better do it ourselves."

Darcy frowns, looking at them. "I haven't forgotten," he says. "I was just -"

"Oh it's fine," Georgiana says cheerfully. "I wasn't really annoyed. Don't look like I shot you."

"I'll let Rufus out at the house and then come back down immediately."

"Don't be silly," she says." We can carry some vegetables between the three of us."

"I'll park outside the pub," Darcy says, shifting the car into gear.

"Wait -" Georgiana says, but she obligingly pulls back as he starts to move away.

"Brothers," she says as the car disappears up the hill. "He's not usually like that."

"Sisters are worse," Kitty says philosophically. "I bet boys don't steal your best hats or your boyfriends."

"Oh my god, who stole whose boyfriend?" Georgiana says, instantly looping her arm through Kitty's. "Quick, tell me before he comes back."

Lizzy, who has heard the saga before, waves them on ahead and sends Jane a quick snap of them walking arm in arm.

'Younger siblings united,' she captions it. 'Ps. the master of the house still hilariously rude.'

'Lizzy!' Jane texts back. 'Come on, we're staying under his roof!'

'You're right, what an angel,' she types adding the appropriate emoji.

'Anyway,' Jane texts. 'Guess whose charming army captain just turned up?'

Lizzy pointedly ignores that text and takes the necessary steps to catch up with the other two.

\---

It wasn't entirely true to say that Captain FitzWilliam was her's. He did after all belong to the British Army for the duration of his commission and thus was hardly up for ownership by other parties. But he was nonetheless good company and an excellent flirt.

He'd also been the one to gallantly step in and make light of his aunt introducing her at a party as 'the Other Bennet Girl, like the Boleyns you know, except this is the one that Darcy's friend isn't dating'. Between wishing for the ground to swallow her up and trying to formulate a suitably pithy comeback, he'd steered her away from the object of her injury and not rested until she had a very full glass of wine and was smiling again.

Ever since then, whenever they meet he congratulates her and Jane on having kept their heads on their necks and fills them in with the latest stories of horror from Rosings Park. Where, if he is to believed, his aunt masterminds her reign of terror over the local town, counting under her thumb not just numerous town councillors too scared to oppose her, but also her nearest archdeacon, whom Fitz likes to pretend she is having a passionate affair with.

He has an uncanny ability to lift the mood of any social gathering and the prospect of seeing him genuinely lightens her step.

\---

Darcy makes good on his promise by waiting with the car just across from the greengrocers. He even politely asks Kitty how her work's going and opens the car door for her so she doesn't have to put down what she's carrying. Lizzy notes all this yet still is a tiny bit glad she stepped back at just the right time when Georgiana had politely insisted one of them sit in the front.

"I'm happy walking," she says, when he opens the back door for her. "Honestly, it's so nice out."

She didn't look at Darcy but she felt sure he was looking at her and knew she was saying it to avoid him.

"Nope, I need you to show me the dauphinoise recipe for the potatoes," Georgiana says.

"Come on Lizzy," Kitty puts in. "All you'd do on your walk is text Jane anyway."

She climbs reluctantly into the back of the car and smiles back at Georgiana when she beams across the back seat at her. It's hard to be annoyed at anything in her company, even having the opportunity for a little solitude pulled away from her.

\---

Darcy is uncharacteristically polite on the drive back.

She watches his reflection in the rear view mirror as he continues his stilted enquiries into Kitty's wellbeing, studying him afresh. He's the sort of handsome that's a little disarming when you first meet him, but thankfully they're well past that point in their acquaintance. Not that she has to worry about being swayed by his face these days, ever since he admitted to playing a part in Charles spending the entirety of the last summer abroad, away from Jane, he's become much less attractive to her.

Sometimes she humorously wonders if the fact that he's still single, despite been so well-chiselled and well-heeled, isn't perhaps a sign of some dark secret that sends suitors running. A first wife hidden in his attic, a penchant for grave digging, or perhaps he'd simply attempted to spoil the happiness of too many people's beloved siblings and no-one would have him.

He glances up briefly, catching her looking at him, and she flushes and looks away, alarmed that he might read her thoughts in her face.

When she dares to look back up after a minute of staring determinedly out the window, his eyes are back on the road but his cheeks are just as pink as her's, as if her scrutiny had caused him embarrassment. Despite herself, a sense of guilt floods in, her uncharitable thoughts on his eligibility echoing loudly within her own head.

Perhaps he wasn't all bad. Georgiana certainly didn't think so and even Jane had recently come around to him. Though his first apology for his role in Jane's summer of misery, made to Lizzy, had been far from heartfelt, the second to Jane had apparently been significantly better. Now Jane defended him from the worst of her censure with the same unflappable patience she used on their mother when she was on one of her diatribes, a mental comparison that never failed to stop Lizzy in her tracks.

When she examined it rationally she knew she was holding onto her bitterness at the whole affair, but knowing it still wasn't enough to stop her from watching him like a hawk. She would stop only when Jane had been happily carried over a threshold with a ring on one finger.

\---

When they climb back out at Pemberley, she's embarrassed to find him holding the car door open for her, saving her the awkwardness of fumbling with the hand with hands are full of loose potatoes.

"Thank you," she says, stepping out onto that same huge gravelled forecourt, feeling not unlike Cinderella emerging from a tattered pumpkin.

He gives her a nod of his head, waiting until she's well clear to push the door shut.

"There's a footpath," he says suddenly, just as she's walking away with relief. "At the bottom of the kitchen garden, that you might like."

Alarmingly she can see in her mind's eye exactly the one that he means, still fresh in her head from staring out her window only an hour or two ago.

"I might?"

"I mean if you wanted to go for a walk," he says, shrugging. "That's the one that has the best views, according to my sister anyway."

He looks harmless, squinting in the sun as he stands there, waiting for what? Her approval? She's never seen anyone look so uncomfortable to be standing in the grounds of their own gigantic country house.

"You must need a map to keep track of it all," she says, to lighten things for them both.

He looks taken aback for a moment, but then he laughs.

"Georgiana made one when we were little, actually. But it's in crayon and probably not very accurate."

His chin drops just an inch and he suddenly seems very human, telling the kind of tales of his sister that she tells of him. And Lizzy finds that she can well imagine it, Georgiana determinedly plotting every inch of the ground in primary colours and Darcy hovering nearby with his corrections. She smiles tentatively at the thought of it, wondering at the two of them growing up in such a giant house mostly alone.

Darcy to her surprise smiles sheepishly back.

"Come on, Lizzy," Lydia calls from the door, breaking the moment. "Potatoes aren't that fucking heavy that you need a man to carry them for you."

They stare at each other in a strange moment of shared amusement and then Lizzy turns dutifully towards the house and leaves him to lock the car.

\---

In the kitchen, Fitz is already stationed at a chopping board, his sleeves rolled up and a large kitchen knife in one hand. Lydia is sat ontop of a long wooden counter with recipe books open all around her and a rolling pin resting in her lap like a schoolmaster's cane.

"Lizzy Bennet," Fitz says on catching her eye, smiling at her and giving her a wave with his knife hand.

"Mr Fitzwilliam," she says back, giving him a dainty curtsy.

He laughs, just like he always does, until Lydia snaps her fingers between them and points Lizzy towards the sink already filled with water.

"Scrub please," she says. "Then Kitty can peel and Fitz can chop."

"Lydia is dictating, of course," Fitz says. "In case you hadn't noticed."

"I'm not bossy, I'm the boss," Lydia says sweetly. "Chop chop, Fitz, else I'll downgrade you to washing and drying."

Lizzy drops the potatoes in the sink and then turns around for another secret amused smile with Fitz.

"Please can we have Beyonce on," Kitty says eyeing up the potato peeler with no great relish. "I work better to Beyonce."

"More of a Taylor Swift fan myself," says Fitz.

Lizzy chooses not to chime in and looks up just in time to see Darcy back out of the kitchen.

She wonders briefly what he thinks of them all invading his house and taking over his kitchen, but then decides she'd probably rather not know and gets started on the task set before her.

\---

By the time the food's all prepped and in the oven, there's the noise of a lot more voices outside.

Georgiana darts in and out, pulling serving dishes from small pokey cupboards in between greeting people and then ducking back in to give them updates on who's arrived.

"I think I just met your cousin William," she says on one such visit. "The one from Kent?"

"Oh God," Lydia says. "Someone hide Lizzy quickly."

"Why," Fitz says, looking amused. "Do you upset him?"

"More like excite!"

"As if Lizzy could ever upset anyone," Georgiana says, coming over and laying her head on Lizzy's shoulder. "What a thing to say, Fitz!"

"I bet you could upset quite a few people," Fitz says, looking right at her with a challenging look. "I've seen it happen."

Lizzy blushes but holds her ground. "Just don't leave me alone with him, please."

"We're not mother," Lydia says. "We'll have to march her upstairs between us all. Then we'll find you something really ugly to wear."

She and Kitty exchange glances and then fall immediately into fits of laughter.

"I didn't know you were so in demand," Fitz says, coming over to wash his hands at the sink.

"They're exaggerating," Lizzy says, to save talking to him about all the details. "How are you, anyway?"

"Perfectly fine, how are you?"

"Covered in potatoes," Lizzy says, because the cat has come unexpectedly for her tongue.

"Well, I'll let you sort that out and I'll go see if I can get Darcy to part with some decent wine from the cellar."

"Aren't the guests the ones meant to bring the wine," Lydia says, idly inviting herself into their conversation.

"Well I'm a terrible guest and haven't brought any," Fitz says.

"Did you bring wine, Lydia," Lizzy says idly.

"Oh screw you, Lizzy," Lydia says, elbowing her. "I brought penis chocolates and Prosecco, isn't that enough?"

Georgiana laughs delightfully. "Amazing, were having ice cream later, maybe we could put them on top."

"Penis chocolates?" Fitz says to Lizzy.

"I would have thought you'd be into that," Lydia says innocently. "Where is your fancy boyfriend, anyway? I miss the sound of the valleys."

"We broke up, I'm afraid," Fitz says. "It's because I don't chop potatoes the right way, he couldn't stand it any longer."

Lydia sighs. "Am I going to have to hook you up with some nice new boy?"

"Or girl," Fitz says.

"Or girl," Lydia says. "I know, have you met Jane's friend Freddy?"

"I don't think so."

"Have fun," Lizzy mouths over Lydia's shoulder as Fitz is firmly guided off towards the door. She gives him a little wave for good measure and he gives her a subtle v sign behind his back.

"Sooo," Georgiana says, the moment they're gone. "Where shall we hide you from Cousin William? The pantry or the ice house? In the pantry you could eat things but in the ice house there's less chance of anyone finding you."

"Don't worry, just give him to Mary," says Kitty. "She usually volunteers to sit next to him. They talk about architecture and liturgy."

"It's true," Lizzy says. "It's a strange meeting of minds."

"I will adjust the table plan accordingly," Georgiana says with a tap of her nose.

\---

Lizzy deliberately doesn't divest herself of her apron until she's up in her room, with Kitty laughing behind her all the way up the stairs and Charlotte swooping in to firmly steer them to safety.

"How many separate landings does this house need?" Charlotte says, sitting down on Lizzy's bed. "No wonder Georgiana's always running marathons, she must've started aged two up and down those stairs!"

"Well, I'm just sorry for whoever has to clean all the windows," Kitty says, opening up Lizzy's suitcase and pulling out a pair of shoes with no regard for the idea of privacy. "Lizzy, these are awful, why would you buy something so ugly?"

"They're walking boots, for walking."

"If you say so," she says, dropping them back to the ground and rooting around for something else more interesting.

"So how's Jane?" Charlotte asks. "Excited?"

"Hiding it well, but secretly: excessively."

"And how excited is your mother?"

"Oh God, on a scale of one to ten, about fifty."

Kitty laughs. "The only reason she's not here is because Lizzy told her the only activity we're doing all weekend is caving."

"Lizzy!" Charlotte says, laughing. "And deny a mother the pleasure of her firstborn's hen do?"

"Well it was that or let her do the cocktail tasting option, followed by naked chocolatiers. There wouldn't be any family secrets left. Nor any chocolatier arses unpinched."

"I'm so glad I'm doing chocolate and cocktails and not coming caving," Kitty says. "What if cousin Will gets stuck in a hole and he makes you pull him out, Lizzy?"

"I know, I was really hoping he'd sign up for the cocktails and chocolate."

"No luck," Charlotte says, "I've peeked at the list and the gender divide is pretty much as expected. Except Fitz, who says he spends enough time in holes on tour and wants to drink cocktails for once instead."

"You're coming caving though, aren't you Charlotte?"

Charlotte gives her a raised eyebrow look.

"You were the one who found the website!"

"Oh Lizzy, I'm sorry," she says, clasping Lizzy's hand in hers. "I want to rack Caroline's brain, she has contacts! Maybe if I get her drunk enough, she'll admit I'd be perfect for playing all those horrible weddings she plans that make Tatler."

"Ugh," Kitty says.

"Fine," Lizzy says. "As long as Georgiana hasn't changed her mind."

"I don't think you could pry her away from the idea of crawling through miles of mud underground, frankly. Charles says she was so excited she's been looking forward to it for weeks."

"What do the boys have planned for Sunday anyway?" Kitty says. "Is there a choice or are we all going go-karting and playing beer pong or something?"

"I can't imagine any of those lot playing beer pong," Charlotte says. "It's probably billiards and steeple chasing."

"My lips are sealed," Lizzy says, zipping then theatrically.

"Oh my god, you know. Jane's been swearing she had no idea! She's such a liar. We're not going to have to jump out a plane holding hands or anything are we. Who's organising anyway?"

"Darcy," Lizzy says lightly. "And I don't know much. And what makes you so sure that Jane knows?"

"Because you two are awful and always in cahoots with one another?"

"Yes, Kitty, because you and Lydia never plot together at all."

Kitty rolls her eyes. "I can't wait till the day we get to organise your hen do, Lizzy. I'm going to make everyone go to Alton Towers and then spend the night in a Travelodge where I'll only let you drink Lambrini and eat Pombears."

"Sounds lovely," Charlotte says.

"Good thing I plan to die unmarried."

"Well you're on the right track," Kitty says holding Lizzy's boots back up triumphantly.

\---

Dinner is ridiculously nice. Everyone keeps complimenting everybody who had a hand in it, which means Lizzy gets many effusive bits of praise for a gratin she barely contributed to. Possibly because both Fitz and Georgiana are the most self-effacing people she's ever met, determined not to carry any praise for their good deeds in a way that would probably be extraordinarily annoying if they weren't both so nice.

She's sat between Charles' brother in law, Philip, and Charlotte. Philip is a little prone to talking about methods of killing badgers but knows enough about Derbyshire that the conversation isn't awful. Meanwhile Charlotte is making great progress with one of Jane's doctor friends who plays the tuba in her spare time.

At the other end of the table, she can see Lydia and Fitz joking and laughing, wine bottles emptying as they go. In the middle of the table Jane is looking beautifully happy, one hand clasped in Charles' beneath the table, no doubt. Someone has tucked flowers behind both their ears so that they match and Lizzy gets a great joy out of how happy they look.

Across from her was Darcy, who didn't appear to be any great conversationalist.

"How's business?" she asks politely. "Jane said sometimes you host a flower show in the garden."

"Yes," he says shortly. "It's fine, thank you."

"We didn't damage the lawn with our picnic, did we?" Kitty says, from his left.

"No," Darcy says, his face softening. "It's fine. Most people are only interested in viewing the walled gardens or the hellebore collection on the east side."

"It's a National Collection, correct?" Lizzy asks.

"Yes," Darcy says and she could've sworn he's slightly flushed. "You're interested in hellebores?"

It was her turn to blush. "Not really, but the plants we saw on the way down to the village near the river were very pretty."

"The gardener does most of it, I'll admit. I don't really know a huge amount."

"I wish we had a decent gardener," Philip says. "Louisa keeps hiring people but I haven't noticed a difference to anything other than our bank account. Mind you, since she decided she needs a yoga lawn, I do get to watch her do yoga in her leggings out my study window if I get up early enough."

"Wow," says Kitty. "Fancy that."

"Here's to silver linings," Lizzy says brightly, holding up her wine glass and smiling at Darcy who looks like he has no idea how to take that comment.

"Yes," Philip says, raising his glass too. "And to wives with see through leggings!"

Kitty looks like she's about to burst from holding back laughter.

"Can I get you any more of anything from the kitchen?" Darcy asks to them all, pushing his chair back.

"Yes," Lizzy says, spotting a moment for respite. "Actually, why don't I come help?"

"By all means."

She pulls out her own chair gratefully and squeezes Charlotte's shoulder. "Back in two ticks," she whispers.

"Take as long as you need," Charlotte whispers back kindly, "I'll see if I can't get him to swap yoga chat for golf again."

"You're sent from heaven," she says and then make a break for it.

\---

In the kitchen Darcy is half-heartedly stacking plates, like someone who would rather be anywhere else in the world than there.

"Wishing you smoked and could disappear every hour?" Lizzy says.

"I'm sorry," he says. "I should've checked the seating plan with Georgiana and put him next to me."

"It's fine, I've had worse," she says truthfully. "At least he's not asked me if I work with horses. Someone once told me I ought to because I look like one."

"That's impressively rude."

"I thought so, too."

"Particularly as you really don't look much like a horse."

Lizzy laughs. "When I told Kitty she said I'm closer to a swan because my neck's too long and I squawk like one."

"Siblings are very candid sometimes, aren't they," Darcy says, looking a little more comfortable. "As you probably noticed, Georgiana likes to call me a dingbat on special occasions."

"I might've noticed that."

"In fact, she used to only write me emails using the dingbat font. I'd have to copy them into a word processor and turn them into Times New Roman just to read them."

"What a traditional choice of font."

"Is it? What would you use?"

"Well, Arial's a little more modern. Futura, perhaps."

"I'm not really all that good at being modern," Darcy says, with a shrug.

"Well, you've got a dishwasher in your kitchen, that's a good first step. The second step is central heating. How does Pemberley fare on that count?"

"All the guest bedrooms have central heating, don't worry."

"Only the guest bedrooms?"

He pauses and tilts his head at her curiously, but when he seems to realise she means no harm, he goes on.

"The family wing is on a separate system, but the chimneys are all functional and I still like having fires. We did some renovation a few years ago so it's well insulated, and my room gets a lot of sun in the morning."

If he were anyone else she would've teased him for that last part sounding almost like an invitation, but she's pretty sure Darcy's not propositioning her with descriptions of his sunny bedroom.

"What else?" he says, when she doesn't reply.

"What else?" she echoes, cluelessly.

"You obviously have concerns about adequate facilities."

"Oh," Lizzy says, only then noticing the upturned corner of his mouth and catching the humour. "Well, let's see, WiFi?"

"In the drawing room, yes. And the offices. It probably doesn't stretch to the bedrooms on your side though."

"What a shame, we won't be able to FaceTime my mother."

Darcy smiles wider. "You're welcome to use the drawing room."

"It's okay, I'd hate to trouble you," Lizzy says, because she doesn't intend to do any FaceTiming is she can help it.

"Or either of our offices, Georgiana won't mind."

His smile seems to only be getting wider and she realises suddenly that he is teasing her.

"It's funny, I didn't think you had a sense of humour."

"Oh? It's funny, I didn't think you knew I existed at all."

She doesn't really know what to say to that. The silence stretches but it doesn't feel wholly uncomfortable, just curious.

"We probably ought to go back," Darcy says. "Before someone worries we've frozen to death through lack of central heating."

"Touche," Lizzy says, feeling both chastened and amused. "After you, then."

\--

Two hours later, Lizzy closes the door behind her and leans against it with a long groan, looking at Jane.

"I love my brother to be, but some of his family are really something."

"A taste we'll all acquire, I'm sure," Jane says.

"How do you bear them?"

"Oh, they're fine, Lizzy, I barely see the Hursts anyway. They don't find the glamorous life of a doctor very exciting."

"Yes, it's not quite polo with Prince Harry, is it?"

"Stop it, Lizzy," she says.

"Oh," she says, affecting Louisa's voice. "My good friend Henrietta, whose brother went to Eton with him, says he was really quite besotted with her once- "

"Don't make me throw you out," Jane warns.

"Oh alright, but only because I love you and want you to have a perfect weekend."

"I will and I am," Jane says. "Honestly, it's so nice to have everyone here at once. I feel like we could do something similar once we're married and both sides would come and it wouldn't be awful."

"No party you could throw would ever be awful, Jane," Lizzy says, going to sit beside her on the bed. "Let me reassure you of that."

\---

There's a chill the next morning when she steps outside onto the gravel again. Half the party crowd there chatting together before splitting into a convoy of mismatched vehicles to make their way to the caving site. By the time they arrive the sun is out though, and Lizzy feels like an explorer again as she rolls up the sleeves on her shirt and steps out of the car into the light.

Their instructors are helpful and friendly, both allaying fears and setting a gentle excitement amongst their party with their briefing. From the back of a minibus they offer out protective suits and helmets and take in return people's shoes.

Lizzy is a little surprised to find Darcy the one who offers her an arm to grab onto as she balances on one leg to wriggle into the suit.

"I don't think I've ever been inside a cave before," he says as Lizzy wobbles and then finds her balance.

"I think you're in good company, then," she says, looking around at the group of them, all looking like very much toddlers trying to dress themselves for the first time.

"I enjoy the vast difference between the two activities you chose, by the way, it's an interesting contrast."

"Oh?" she says. "And what, you're surprised I chose this one?"

"No, I'm not surprised at all. In fact the moment you told me what options you were thinking of, I knew you'd pick this one. I'm glad that you did."

"Ah, because you think not enough women are happy to dress up in boiler suits and crawl around in the mud?" she says playfully.

"No, because I knew it would make Georgiana happy to spend the day with you."

"Oh," Lizzy says. "Well - that's not at all what I expected you to say."

"Obviously," he says, with a little smile.

"Do you -" she struggles a little. "Know a lot of female cavers, then?"

"Oh, anyone who's anyone in Derbyshire knows at least five. Or perhaps I should say Georgiana has enough enthusiasm to count for five people."

He turns his head and she does to, spotting Georgiana on the other side of the clearing, carefully doing up her helmet.

"Little sisters are special, aren't they?"

"They are," Darcy says, gracefully catching her as she loses her concentration for a moment and wobbles.

\---

The cave turns out to be a more thorough workout that even Lizzy could've expected. They drop to all fours, they crawl, they wiggle through gaps that are flooded with water, and sit on outcrops of rock that are damp with water underneath stalactites. Their voices echo off the walls of the bigger chambers, making it seem like they're miles underground rather than just a few metres, and when they emerge back out into the sun, she feels like she's almost travelled to and returned from another plane.

Pulling off their suits is almost as much fun as putting them on, as is finding the spots on her lower arms where water has slid inside the suit. It's like taking a bit of the cave home with her and in a way that makes her glad.

Charles, she's both amused and pleased to see, emerges completely covered in mud. She manages to get one picture with her phone that she sends straight to Jane, before he manages to wipe the worst of it off by rolling in the grass and then stripping off the suit like the rest of them.

\---

Their car is the last to draw up back at Pemberley and Lizzy takes her time parking after dropping off the others at the door. As ever, being out in the wild for any period of time makes her thoughts scatter to the wind, emptying her mind of anything but a desire to point herself in any direction and just walk.

Before she can disappear into the gardens to wander, she hears the crunch of footsteps on the gravel, and turns to see Fitz coming towards her with a smile on his face. As she gets closer, he double-takes.

"Lizzy Bennet, is that Darcy's coat draped around your shoulders?"

"I don't know, is it?" she says, doing her best not to flush. "How were the cocktails?"

"Fantastic, I drank one or two extra in your name."

"And how much did Jane blush at the naked chocolatiers?"

"Not half as much as I thought she would. I just wish you'd been there so I could've watched your face."

"It takes more than that to make me blush. I hope you didn't eat everything you made."

"No, I saved something specially for you, don't worry. Are you sure you don't want to wear my coat?"

"You're not even wearing a coat."

"I could go in and get one."

"Stop it."

"It's just very important to me that you're warm."

"How many cocktails, exactly, did you have?"

He smiles winningly.

"Enough that I'm going to tell you how pretty you are when you're covered in mud."

"Fitz -"

"And that I hope whatever Darcy's rumbled up for tomorrow involves us both getting equally dirty."

Darcy appears in the doorway behind them.

"Ahh, speak of the devil," Fitz says. "What are we doing tomorrow, Darcy, come on tell me so I can mentally prepare myself."

"Is he bothering you?" Darcy says, looking past him straight to Lizzy. "Would you like me to dunk him in the fountain?"

"There you are," Fitz says, wrapping an arm around Darcy's shoulders and leaning into him. "I knew the real you was in there somewhere. Do you know Lizzy, that when we were children, he would never let me play with his ride-on tractor?"

Darcy delicately raises an eyebrow. "I think I might just dunk him in the fountain, for both our sakes."

"He would sit on it and say he was Lord of Pemberley."

"And let's not forget how you would then insist that you were the lord of tractors and owed your due -"

"And then we'd throw mud at each other."

"I see," Lizzy says, amused beyond reason. "And then?"

"And then we grew up and he got all shy and locked himself up here doing the dreary family business."

"It's not dreary."

"It's so dreary. Lizzy, come on, if you had a house like this, would you have the country's finest collection of petunias -"

"Hellbores."

"- or would you set up a 5k obstacle course or god, even open it as a museum."

Darcy grimaces and Lizzy can't help but laugh.

"Well?" Fitz says.

"The gardens are lovely and to be honest, I think houses should be lived in."

"Well," Fitz says. "If _I_ were mistress of Pemberley, I'd install some better showers, at least. Your water pressure is atrocious, Darcy."

"There's always the fountain," Darcy says amiably.

Fitz ignores him and then gestures at Lizzy to come closer. She gives up on her walk and ducks obligingly under the arm he doesn't have round Darcy's shoulders and lets him walk them both back into the house.

\---

Inside, Fitz steers them away from the drawing room where Lizzy can hear the noise of the rest of the party.

"I should go see Jane," she says, leaning away from the other two.

"She's fine, her and Charles are oblivious to everyone other than each other, I promise you. And I'm pretty sure Georgiana is planning for you to all catch up with Bloody Marys on the back lawn for breakfast tomorrow morning. I know that because I've been banned by Louisa from attending for 'crimes to chocolate'."

"Alright, but you'd better not be lying about having saved me some chocolate."

"Ahah," Fitz says, steering them further down the corridor and then opening a large door by gently kicking it.

It opens into a massive billiards room, complete with floor to ceiling windows, equally long velvet drapes, and dark oak cupboards.

"Right, set us up, Darcy. I promised you a rematch and Lizzy's here to keep us from cheating, aren't you Lizzy?"

He lets his arm slip off her shoulder, but presses briefly closer to her with a daring look.

"If I must."

"Unless you'd like to play?" Darcy says, looking at her very attentively, while Fitz lifts a pair of cues off the wall.

"It's a two person game, isn't it?"

"We can easily play three rounds."

She finds herself strangely flattered by his his invitation. "You two take the first match whileI think about it."

"Lizzy should try and distract us," Fitz announces, pulling the cover back from the table.

"Really? And how would I do that?"

"However you like. I know how I'm going to try and distract _you_ when it's your turn."

"Really?"

"I wouldn't worry," Darcy puts in, chalking his cue. "Fitz doesn't need much to get distracted."

"Neither does Darcy," Fitz says, carefully placing three balls on the tbale. "In fact one set of attentive eyes on him and he's done for."

"Whereas Fitz has a known weakness for anyone who can make him shut up for more than two seconds."

Lizzy can't help but laugh at them both. "Are you sure you need me here? Only I wouldn't want to get in the way of anything."

They both turn to look at her at once, and the scene pauses perfectly and absurdly, two handsome young men suddenly like golden retrievers waiting on her approval or disapproval.

"Are we being twats?" Fitz asks into the silence.

"Maybe."

"Sorry Lizzy," he says.

" _I'm_ not being a twat," Darcy says.

It comes out so pointedly that Lizzy can't help but laugh. Fitz joins her after a moment, heartily, and Darcy starts to smile slowly.

They end up all laughing so loud that she#s not at all surprised when the door opens and Georgiana's head pops round it.

"There you all are, we're almost ready for the food outside."

She steps inside fully, takes one look at the table, and then sighs.

"Oh no, Lizzy, they haven't tried to make you adjudicate one of their terrible billiards cockfights, have they?"

"Hardly," Darcy says.

"They're awful when their egos get involved. Do you want to be rescued or are you enjoying the weird spectacle?"

"I definitely need rescuing," Lizzy says sternly, spotting a dignified exit. "l need to hear all about the cocktails from Charlotte and Jane."

"Rubbish, you just want to hear about the naked men," Fitz says/

"I'm sure _you_ weren't complaining when they came round, Fitz," Georgiana says.

Lizzy firmly loops elbows with Georgiana and lets herself be guided in a theatrical turn out of the room.

She hears Darcy's voice just as they reach the door.

"I hope you turned the painting of my grandmother around when these chocolatiers were in the room."

Fitz groans. "Darcy, what?"

Georgiana laughs happily. "He's from another century," she whispers to Lizzy. "I'm sure of it."

\---

Dinner that evening is a barbecue round the back of the house, with blankets spread back out on the lawn and smoke twisting upwards in the evening air. Lydia leads a party to find a section of stream to swim in, resolutely dragging both Kitty and Mary with her after Jane refuses to be pried from Charles' side and Lizzy claims that caving has tired her out.

But even with the noisiest members of the party gone Lizzy still can't feel quite at peace, sat on the blankets. Not with the cool smoky air calling her as dusk starts to turn the horizon pink and hazy. 

She gets up and follows behind Caroline and Louisa as they walk a loop of the lawn, pretending to listen to their conversation, nodding at what seem like the correct moment even though her mind is somewhere else.

She's almost decided to slip off and go for a walk on her own when Charles comes up on her unexpectedly insists that she and Jane have to see Darcy's horses.

Lizzy looks at Jane with a raised eyebrow but Jane just smiles back sunnily and loops theirs arms together. So she lets herself be led off to the stables, wandering through the dark hedges, with the sounds of talking and giggles fading out as they reach the edge of the fairy lights.

\--- 

"I wanted to thank you," Charles says, after they've both admired two large and gentle horses. "I never thought I could have so much fun underground, but it really was fun and very well thought."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," Lizzy says, flushing and turning her attention back to the horse nuzzling at her pockets.

"Even Darcy enjoyed himself," Charles carried on. "Though I wonder if it was more the company than the activity."

Lizzy looks up in surprise, just catching the moment that Charles shoots Jane a look and Jane shoots her a suspicious looking smile.

"What?" Lizzy says, feeling herself go redder still. "Jane?"

"Nothing," Jane says innocently. 

"We only thought you worked very well together as a team to make this weekend happen and wanted to thank you."

"Oh, hardly. I mean so as to say I've hardly had to do anything. He was the one who offered the house and Georgiana did the lion's share of the rest."

"Accept the compliment, Lizzy," Jane says, squeezing her arm. "Enjoy it, let us thank you."

"Fine, but I honestly did very little."

"If you say so," Jane says. "Come on, let's go for a walk, there's something I want to ask you. Charles is going to find Caroline and ask her to stop Kitty from drowning Lydia, aren't you?"

"Whatever my wife-to-be requires," Charles says with a smile.

"What is going on?" Lizzy demands as he moves off and Jane steers her determinedly towards the gardens/

"I just thought we should talk, don't you want to talk to me, Lizzy?"

"About what, exactly?"

"Oh, nothing. Though maybe matters of the heart."

"Yours?"

"Not exactly," Jane says, her voice going teasing. "Georgiana said you, Fit,z and Darcy were all terribly cosy in the billiards room last night."

"Jane!"

"Oh, so there is something to tell."

"No," Lizzy insists. "Well - no. I don't know."

"Do you think I wouldn't notice how they both look at you and you look at both of them?"

"And how exactly is that?"

"Ardently, Lizzy. Very ardently."

"Oh Jane," she breathes in deep and then makes herself let it out. "I don't know how to talk about it because I don't even understand it myself."

"Just say what you're thinking."

"Both of them," she blurts out. "Both of them are flirting now and how am I meant to interpret that or, god forbid, choose?"

"Well, Charles tells me they're quite used to competing with each other and if the weekends' displays are indication, they don't exactly mind doing it, so - "

She trails off with another squeeze of Lizzy's arm.

"So?" Lizzy repeats pointedly. "Do what, make them duel for my hand?"

"I don't know about that, but if there's anything I've learned from that long stretch when I thought Charles didn't like me, it's that you have to take the chances that are right in front of you. Remember when you took me out on that long walk in the park and told me I had to live, Lizzy?"

"Am I not living?"

"Not as third as well as you could be, I think."

"Oh my god, Jane," Lizzy says, groaning. "Does Charles know that's why you lured me out here? To encourage me into a threesome?"

"Yes, come on, are you really so unadventurous, Lizzy? I've always thought you enjoyed new things."

"New things? Jane, I'm not sure I could handle even one of them and you want me to take on both?"

"New things," Jane says, serenely. "Why not?"

\---

She manages to persuade Jane that she'll think about it and then that the only way she can truly consider it is to take herself on a walk on the grounds, quite alone. She repeats it again afterwards too, in case Jane gets any ideas about using Charles to set up something else. But she doesn't, she just hugs Lizzy tight, thanks her again for a lovely day, and lets her go.

So Lizzy wanders, letting her feet pick a path. She walks through a rose garden, then another lawn with high hedges. Only after that does the sculptured landscape finally break, giving way to what once would've been a large field, stretching out for acres and complete with a long line of trees.

She feels some of the tension seep from her body as she walks past a huge oak with a rippled and gnarled trunk, running her hand along its surface. The longer grass transfers dew to her soft shoes, the dampness just seeping in to touch her toes, and she smiles thinking of Caroline's horrified face when she'd seen them in a similar state the night before.

She's so lost in thought that she doesn't see Darcy until she almost slams into him.

"Oh god," she says, clutching at her chest with a laugh. "I wasn't expecting anyone to be here - sorry."

"No, I'm sorry," he says. "I didn't mean to make you jump."

"It's fine, I'm the one that's wandering around your grounds."

"Completely by invitation."

Now that she knows where to look for it, she can see his face soften as he speaks. His body remains stiff but his expression changes just enough that she can see that he cares about how he's received.

"True, I suppose"

"And how are you finding them? The grounds, I mean."

There, again, his face changes. Though his words are confident and his manner of asking almost brusque, the way he watches her tells her that saying the wrong thing would hurt him.

"They're very pleasant."

"So you like Pemberley?"

"Yes," she says truthfully. "It's been much more than Google made me believe it would be. In fact I'm jealous that you must get to walk here as often as you like."

She thinks he looks a little proud, not in the way she might previously have thought him to be, but in the way that he seems to take genuine pleasure in her comment.

It emboldens her to carry on.

"I think sometimes a place that's loved by its owners has a different feel to a place that's not. And Pemberley strikes me as being well-loved."

Darcy smiles, then turns his face away as if no-one ought to see it.

"I sometimes think Fitz is right and I should do something else with it all."

"Really? I mean I just can't imagine you enjoying either the obstacle course or the museum."

"You don't think it's selfish, then, to keep it all to myself, to ourselves?"

"Well, yes, undoubtably."

She laughs and he follows her, the last shred of surprise at bumping into each other falling away.

"But Jane said you have people come to fish -"

"Yes, it's well-liked for that."

"And there are flower shows?"

"Yes."

"And you let the Bennet family in, so -"

"So -"

"So Lydia and Kitty are probably scaring all your carp away this minute. Sure you have no regrets?"

"None at all."

She finds herself caught looking at him because he seems to be looking directly at her as he says it. She opens her mouth to reply but no words come out.

"I-" he says.

But before he can say anything more, the sounds of footsteps has them both looking up.

\---

"There you are," Fitz says, winding his way round the tree. "Georgiana sent me to find you both before there's no wine left for you to come back to. But I didn't mean to interrupt. Am I interrupting?"

Lizzy glances briefly at Darcy as she shakes her head, but he is already shaking his too.

" _Should_ I interrupt?" Fitz says. 

She looks at Darcy again, but he is looking at her just as hopelessly.

"Ah, you're both being cautious again, I see. Then I arrived at just the right time. This is one of his favourite spots, you know Lizzy, if he brought you here then he must've been about to say something meaningful."

"Oh he didn't -" Lizzy says at the same time as speaks too. 

"She came here herself. How did you know I - nevermind. I don't have a favourite spot."

"Oh, of course that's the part you want to discuss."

"Which part would you like to discuss exactly?"

"Probably the part where I make you admit that Lizzy ruffles your feathers and makes me fluff up mine? Or the part where I ask what we ought to do about it all?"

"Well," Lizzy says, laughing to herself in the silence. "That's that out in the open."

"Where it ought to be. We're all grown-ups, aren't we?"

"Yes," she admits. 

"And hasn't it been fun?"

"Fitz -" Darcy says.

"Go on, admit you don't hate it when I ruffle your feathers, either."

He sighs, but with a roll of his eyes, smiles begrudgingly.

"Too right. So, let's sneak inside and go have a drink, just the three of us."

"I promised Georgiana I'd help her host tonight."

"You can be a fantastic host to just Lizzy and I, Darcy. I promise it'll be far more fun."

Lizzy doesn't think it's her imagination that the tops of his ears have turned pink.

"No, I should be there for Charles. But maybe tomorrow we could - go for a walk."

"Ahah," Fitz says, grinning. "I knew a few interesting places on this estate we could walk to, sure."

"I dread to think," Darcy says back. "Tomorrow, then." 

That said, he immediately starts to back away.

"Fitz - " Lizzy says helplessly as Darcy turns and leaves.

"It's alright," Fitz says, coming to stand beside her and gently knocking her shoulder with his. "He always needs a bit of time with decisions. He'll be there at the break of dawn tomorrow, waiting for us, don't worry. Well, waiting for me, you're just the sort of eager walking beaver that he is."

"You don't think we ought to just go after him?"

"If you want to, but honestly, he's his own person about things like this."

"And you know that from what sort of experience?"

He shrugs easily. "We might've fumbled around as teenagers."

"Oh?"

"Yes, back when he let me get past the outer layers more easily. You've softened him this weekend. Though I suspect he's been carrying that particular torch for far longer."

It hits Lizzy suddenly how many conversation she might have had with him from completely the wrong perspective.

"I was convinced he hated me."

"And I've no doubt that he was convinced you hated him."

She laughs aprubtly at the backwardness of it all. "Would it be awful if I sort of did?"

Fitz laughs too. "That was a hardly a secret, Lizzy. Though I don't think I was the only one privately wondering if all that depth of feeling didn't mean something entirely different."

"I never had even the slightest intention towards liking him, ever."

"That I believe," he says, his face softening. "And what, Lizzy Bennet, about me?"

"What about you?" she says.

He pushes her sideways with a laugh. "I should have left you to Darcy's awkward overtures. Is that all the thanks I get for accelerating things here by at least two months?

"Two months?"

"At least, with all those longing glances and meaningful conversations you two were set to meander through."

"Some people might enjoy that sort of thing."

"Yes, and some people enjoy all the other things that come after, too."

\---

Once her assumptions about them both are well and truly buried, it's much easier to see the things she missed before. The easy familiarity with which they jostle and casually touch each other, the jokes that they share and finish between themselves, but also their shared fondness for Georgiana.

The more she sees and imagines them comfortably bickering with each other, the more easy it becomes to imagine where she would fit between them.

So much so that when the next morning dawns, she rolls out of bed early with a nervous energy in her stomach.

"Don't let them keep you out for too long," Georgiana says fondly, watching the three of them go. "I want her back for eleven, you two, you understand?"

"Of course," Fitz says jovially. "Lizzy's a good walker, it won't take us long."

When she turns away with a smile, Fitz grins widely at them both. "You won't let us tire you out, will you Lizzy?"

"God help me," Lizzy says, turning her face to the sky with a laugh.

"He's an atrocious flirt, ignore him," Darcy says easily. "Unless you really want to indulge him, I suppose, in which case -"

"Stop," Lizzie says, unable to stop herself from laughing again. "What have I agreed to?"

"A morning of excellent company, nothing more," Fitz says. "Though if I don't at least ask you for a kiss behind a convenient hay bale at some point you can assume I've been replaced by an alien."

\---

There are worse ways to spend the morning than being asked for kisses behind hay bales, as it turns out. Darcy, though the shyer of the two, is no less competent than Fitz when pushed either. And between the three of them, they managed to return to the house more rumpled than they went out.

"I think I shall have to take you up on that offer to visit again sometime soon, you know," she tells them, before they part ways with secret smiles.

"There are a number of parts of the estate that we've not yet explored," Darcy says, smiling.

"Or debauched," Fitz adds.

"So be it then," she replies.


End file.
